Tube cutter



C. L. MARTIN Oct. 25, 1960 TUBE CUTTER Filed Aug. 4, 1958 FIG.I.

FIG I2 F H INVENTOR CHARLES L. MARTIN ATTORNEY United States Patent TUBE 'CUTIER (Iharles L. Martin, Berkely, Mo., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York, N.i., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 4, 1953, Ser. No. 752,975

'5 Claims. (31. 30-101 This invention relates to tube cutters, and especially to a demountable type of tube cutter capable of assembly and disassembly with tubes in place and connected at their opposite ends.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a tube cutter constructed for ready assembly and disassembly so as to be readily applicable to cutting tubes in lace. p It is another object of this invention to provide a tube cutter so constructed as to be readily applicable to tubes which are connected at their opposite ends.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tube cutter so constructed that it will be readily assembled and disassembled, and when assembled will remain assembled, thus avoiding misplacement of its parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide a tube cutter construction of compact and economical design which can be readily applied to tubes located in remote and normally inaccessible places, such as a metal fuel supply line between the fuel pump and carburetor of an automobile engine.

Further objects and advantages of the present construction will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a cutter constructed in accordance with this invention and illustrated in assembled condition about a tube.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same cutter.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly in section showing the same cutter.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the parts separated to illustrate the manner of assembly and disassembly.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the assembled cutter.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the cutting element.

Figs. 7 and 8 are assembled and disassembled views of a modified form of the cutter illustrating the manner of operation by fragmental views.

Figs. 9 and 10 are side views of still another modified form of the cutter.

Figs. 11 and 12 are side and end views of still another modified form of the cutter.

According to Fig. 1, the demountable cutter, according to this invention, has a yoke 10 having a bight portion 11 formed by divergent angular portions of the yoke which merge into opposite legs 13 and 14 extending substantially in a parallel upwardly from the bight portion 11.

For purposes later to be explained, the legs 13 and 14 have otfset portions 15 and 16 which in turn merge into parallel extending portions terminating in T-shaped ends 17 and 18.

Demountably secured between the upper portions of the legs 13 and 14 is a bracket 20 with a screw threaded aperture 21. Threadably supported by the bracket 20 is a screw 22 engaging threads in the aperture 21. The upper end of the screw has a knurled knob 24 by which Patented Oct. 25, 1960 the screw may be operated. The bracket 20 is detachably secured on the legs 13 and 14 by spaced ears such as 25, 26, 27 and 28 at its opposite ends as shown in Fig. 5, for example. The ends of the ears have upstanding lugs such as 30, 31, 32 and 33, respectively, which engage with the T ends on the legs 13 and 14, indicated as 17 and 18, and detachably secure the bracket 20 to the legs.

The bracket 20 and its screw 22 form, in etfect, a tool feeder assembly and the tool feeding screw 22 actually applies pressure to a cutting tool holder such as indicated generally as 35 and shown more in detail in Figs. 3 and 6.

The cutting tool holder '35 is formed of a sheet of metal bent intoa U-shape, for example, to form a housing for the cutting wheel. In Fig. 3 the cutting tool holder has parallel sides such as 36 and 37 formed with an integral top wall such as 38 recessed to form a seat for the screw 22. The cutting wheel 39 is journaled in the sides of the housing 36 and 37. These sides have extensions such as 41 and 42 on each side of the housing, which extensions, together with the lower lugs 44 and 45, form channel-like guides in the side of the cutting tool holder.

Operation Turning now to Fig. 4, the cutting tool described above is constructed so that there is a spring tension between the legs 13 and 14 which tends to spread the T ends 17 and 18 to receive the bracket 20. With this arrangement, cutting tool holder 35 may be readily removed from between the legs 13 and 14.

The tube cutter is assembled about the tube by sequential assembly of the yoke 10 with the tube, the slidable cutting tool holder with the yoke, and the bracket or tool feeder assembly with the T-shaped ends of the yoke 17 and 18 by inserting the bracket 20 beneath the T-shaped ends and then squeezing the ends together against their resilience, and then turning the screw so that the bracket engages the outer sides of the T-shaped ends.

The application of this embodiment and the other embodiments hereinafter described may be visualized from a consideration of Figs. 1 and 11, wherein the fully assembled cutting tool circumscribes the tube to cut such that the tube is held by the bight 11 in the yoke 10, and the cutting tube holder 35 is forced against the tube by the pressure of the screw 22 such that the cutting wheel 39 is adjacent the tube. The manual rotation of the cutting tool around the tube will then cause a cut in said tube, which cut may be made deeper by the periodic increase in pressure applied by the screw 22 to the cutting tube holder 35 by the turning of the knurled knob 24.

Modification The modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 differs from that shown in the above-described figures only in that the T-shaped ends heretofore designated 17 and 18 and now designated 47 and 48 are inclined with respect to the legs 13 and 14, and the lugs heretofore designated 30, 31, 32 and 33 are inclined in a complementary manner so as to lock the T-shaped ends against accidental removal.

In this case the lugs are indicated as 50-53, inclusive. The tube cutter construction is otherwise the same as above described. p j

Second modification In Figs. 9 and 10 is a second modification which differs from the one first described above, only in that the legs 13 and 14 of the yoke are formed so as to remain substantially parallel in an unstressed condition, and the assembly of the bracket 20 required that they be sprung apart in order to receive the bracket or that the bracket be hooked, first under one T-shaped end and then under the other.

7 Third modification InfFigs; l1 and '12 is a third modification which is a structure intended to be used for larger tubes and, therefo s re nforced, or the eavy y p a i lar reference characters are used to indicate like parts, and'this description will'be limited to a description of the differences between this modification and those above described. For example, in order. to gain added strength, the legs 13 and 14 of the yoke are reinforced by forming"the reina bead such as 60. The bead 60 extends around the bight portion of the yoke. Also, 'it has been found "desirable in the larger size of tube cutter to provide a work holder which has a larger transverse guiding surface such as illustrated at 62. This prevents the tube cutter from'rocking on the tube during operation. A biasingmember or spring 66 is fitted under tension between the upper face67 of the cuttingtool'holder 35 and the underside 68 of the bracket 20 so that a constant pressure may be applied to the cutting tool during application as hereinbefore described. Whilethe spring 65 is illustrated for the heavy duty embodiment shown in'Fig. 11,.it can readily beseen that it is equally applicable to the other embodiments already shown and described.

The sole other distinguishing features in this modification ,are the ribs, such as 64 and 65, provided on the .bracket for added strength.

Each of the modifications operates in the same manner as above described for the structure in Fig. 1, except that for the embodiment shown in Fig. 11 the spring 65 also applies presure to the cutting tool holder 35, thereby increasing the .force of the cutting wheel 39 upon 7 the tube to be cut.

A structurehas been described which will fulfill all of the objects of the present invention, but it is contemplated that other changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art which come within the terms v of the appended claims.

ing a bight therein adapted to contact and slidably retain the outer surface of the tube to be cut during operation, and substantially parallel resilient leg members beyond said bight, a cutting tool holder adapted to slidably engage .said leg members, a .tool feeder assemblable with said yoke for applying pressure to said cutting tool holder and the tube to be cut, and detachable connections between the ends of said leg members and said tool feeder engageable and disengageable by operation of said resilient legs.

2. A demountable tube cutting assembly comprising a yoke adapted to circumscribe'the tube to be cut, said yoke having divergent angularly related portions forming a bight therein to contact and slidably retain the outer surface of the tube to be cut, substantially parallel leg members beyond said bight, extended projections terminating said leg members, a cutting tool holder adapted to slidably engage said leg members, a tool feeder assemblable with said yoke for applying pressure to said cutting member and the tube to be cut, and detachable connections at the ends of said leg members and at the opposite sides of said tool feeder engageable and disengageable by compressing said resilient leg members.

3. A demountable tube cutting assembly comprising a yoke adapted to circumscribe the tube to be cut, said yoke having divergent angularly related portions forming a bight portion therein-to contact and slidably retain the outer surface of the tube to be cut, substantially parallel resilient leg members beyond said bight, T-shaped ends terminating said leg members, a tool holder having a housing adapted to slidably engage said leg members, said housing having a rigid top portion and an open bottom portion, a cutting tool mounted within said housing and projecting without the open bottom portion of said housing, a tool feeder assembly including a demountable support member having spaced cars at its opposite sides to detachably connect with said T- shaped ends, and a screw threaded in said tool feeder for applying pressure to the top portion of said housing, said cutting tool, and the tube to be cut, the detachable connection between said tool feeder and said yoke being engageable and r disengageable bygoperation ofssaid resilient legs. e

4. A demountable tube cutting assembly comprising a yoke adapted to circumscribe the tube tub? cut, said yoke having divergent angularly related portions forming a tight therein to contact and slidably retain the outer surface of the tube to be. cu t,- subst antially parallel resilient leg members beyond said bight, T-shaped ends terminatin sa dleg me b r a cu i o h der h in h u ing a ap d to b y en ag said e m bers, said housing having a rigid top portion and an ope ottom po on a ut i t m te t n Said holder and p ie t n h u th .op b m p qn a a d ho s n a o l fe de including a dem able support member having spaced ears for engagement withsaid Teshaped ends and adapted to be heldinterconnected by the resilience in vsaid leg members, and a screw threaded within said support member adapted to a h p o n o a d s n f r P id n 91 ting. pressure: to the top portion of said housing-said cutting tool, and the tube to be cut.

5. A demountable type of tube cutter of the kind described, comprising a cutting element, and means for forceably applying said cutter element to the tube, including a yoke member-for straddlirigthetube to be out having .apair of opposite resilient legs, a cutting tool holder mounted between said legs and guided thereby for movement toward and away from the tube, a tool feeder assembly including a bracket detachably secured to said legs adjacent their ends and a screw threadably engagiiig an aperture in said bracket for applying a force to said slidableelement in a direction to- Ward the tube, sa id tube cutter being assembled about the tube by sequential assembly .of said yoke with said tube, said slidable element .with. said yoke and said bracket with said legs, and detachable means between {the ends of said bracket-and each leg of said yoke, .en-

gageable and 'disengageable by operation. of .said resilient kgs I ReferencesCited in the file of this. patent UNITED STATES lATENTS 527.4,631 Miller Mar. 27, 1883 1,081,857 Mullins Dec. 16, 1913 1,169,579 Strauss Jan. 25, 1916 1,428,288 Keatley Sept. 5, 1922 1,699,027] ,Scott Jan[ 15, 1929 RE G ATEN S 722,69 Great-Britain Jan. 26, 1955 

